Our relationship with God is what matters. Our conduct must be measured by the commandments of God. We “stay” ourselves on Him when we obey Him. The God of Israel is our guide, anchor and master. Without actual obedience to Him, confessing Him with the lips alone means nothing. Even if you reject the false teachings of “Born Again” Christianity, reject atheism, and reject other false belief systems, if you don’t obey His commandments it means nothing. The Telestial Kingdom will be filled with disciples of true prophets. But these disciples fail to receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ:
“And the glory of the telestial is one, even as the glory of the stars is one; for as one star differs from another star in glory, even so differs one from another in glory in the telestial world; For these are they who are of Paul, and of Apollos, and of Cephas. These are they who say they are some of one and some of another—some of Christ and some of John, and some of Moses, and some of Elias, and some of Esaias, and some of Isaiah, and some of Enoch; But received not the gospel, neither the testimony of Jesus, neither the prophets, neither the everlasting covenant.” (D&C 76: 98–101.)
These are troubling words. We should not read them without reconsidering who we are and what we are doing with the covenants we have made.
Nephi is standing on our toes as he shouts these words of warning and rebuke. If we were willing to accept kindness and gracious words, he would have used those. Since we are not, he is forced to use blunt and direct criticism. We should feel uncomfortable as we read them. Christ never called His Saints to do ordinary things or to fit well into this world. Instead, He calls them to prepare for something much better. To get there we have to live higher principles in a world filled with sin and corruption.
Christ rebuked religious hypocrites and said: “but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.” (Matt. 23: 3.) James taught: “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” (James 2: 17–20.)
Here, Nephi wants us keeping God’s commandments; to have them be our support. Otherwise, we are just like the hypocrites who think they are saved because of their status alone, apart from having a clean and pure heart. This is a concept Nephi is attempting to get his brothers to understand and accept. It is as relevant to us as it was to them.
The titles used in the verses are important, as well. God is called the “Lord of Hosts” as a proper noun. It is His name. Nephi wants us to know this about Him. Getting one of God’s names revealed is significant and should provoke thought. There is intimacy in having His names revealed to us. This name is worth pausing to reflect upon for a moment. Who are the “Hosts” over which He is Lord? Why is this His name? We see the “Hosts” best in Abraham Chapter 3. In this Abraham account there is a description of the pre-earth hosts of spirits, formed in God’s image, who were created by Him. These spirits are ready to advance still further, and the Father announces a plan to permit them to advance. His plan allows them to progress through a “Second Estate,” where they will be tested and proven. Importantly, God has previously told Abraham that His “wisdom excelleth” all mankind’s understanding. (Abr. 3: 21.)
The “host” included pre-earth spirits of mankind. He is our God and our Father. We are related to Him. We are among the “hosts” who belong with Him, as the Abraham account reveals. So this name connects us to Him. God is a Father and He belongs in a family setting. In revealing His “Hosts” to us, we see we are a part of that host or family.
We should want to obey Him. If we understand He is our Father, we see how benevolent His purposes are toward us. Obedience to Him should flow from our respect for Him as our common Father. When Christ instructed us to pray “Our Father, who art in heaven” (Matt. 6: 10), He was giving us another way of saying God is the “Lord of Hosts.” He is our Lord and our God, our Father and our Sire.
In this second verse, Nephi is talking to those who read his record, who are religious people, claiming to be of God, yet who lack a real connection to the Father. They make assertions, but do not back them up with any real living relationship to God demonstrated by their righteousness and faith. They are empty vessels.
Just as Nephi foresaw, Christ’s parables about the latter-day Church at His return are another disturbing reminder that even the very elect will be deceived. From the “ten virgins” (who are regarded as the very best of the latter-day Church) we see only “five” being prepared at the coming of the Bridegroom. The identification of the people in the parable as “virgins” who are ready for a marriage setting, suggests the people spoken of are not just members in name only, but those who are adorned with an appropriate garment for entry into the wedding celebration. Within this setting, it would include only about a third of the adult members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for it is only about a third of the Church who hold temple recommends and attend the Temple regularly. With that as a backdrop, Christ warning us that only “five” out of “ten” will be prepared becomes much more alarming. As to individual worthiness, Nephi and Christ sound the same alarm.
Similar pessimism about numbers within the “Gospel net” is included in Christ’s parable of the fish caught. Also, in His parable about the wedding feast we encounter Saints who are unprepared for His return. The inner circle of invitees (active, recommend-holding Latter-day Saints) will include among them the unworthy and unprepared. This issue is one which Nephi wants us to consider carefully, and to take a personal and realistic inventory of how we follow God, or even if we really do follow Him.
This message from Nephi is intended to make us squirm a bit. It is intended to make us leave our self-assurance and comfort and ask again, at our deepest level, whether we are among those who will be welcomed and embraced at the Lord’s return, or will retire in shame at our inner filth.